Christmas Eve, I shared a bottle of 1999 Merryvale Profile with my wife. Very delish after 2 hours of decanting.
Christmas Day, I opened a 2006 Domaine de l’Oratoire St Martin Cairanne Blanc and 2006 Cardwell Hill Pinot Noir with the family. The white wine was a smashing success!
And just for fun, I had a 2006 3 Rings Shiraz which was a fruit explosion.

Thanks for the show. Really wanted the Christmas pack, but I live in Michigan 🙁

Christmas eve, we were over my brother’s house, and he opened a 2007 ZD Pinot Noir Carneros, and it’s was good (maybe 85), but after hearing how he spent like $55 for the bottle and how he’d like to open one up everyday but couldn’t because of the price, I told him to check out some other $20 Pinots that he might enjoy that were of the same quality… Christmas night (25), my wife and I went to Pinot Provence, we decided to get wines by the glass, and she had a 2006 Rosenblum Conta Costa Zinfandel, and I had a 2005 Joseph Drouhin La Foret Bourgogne. The Bourgogne was incredible (90), and the zin was really good too (89). Happy wine for Xmas! The next night, the 26th, we hung out at some good friend’s house, and had 2 Temecula wines, the 2006 Doffo Tiarella (91+), which had great balance, and a chocolate with cream finish that went on for 30 seconds, and we also had the 2007 Wiens Zinfandel (89+), which was full of dark fruits, and a little spice. We also had another Zinfandel, but I kind of forgot where it was from… some coastal zin? Anyway, I just wanted to wish you all a very Happy New Year. 🙂

Christmas eve, we were over my brother’s house, and he opened a 2007 ZD Pinot Noir Carneros, and it’s was good (maybe 85), but after hearing how he spent like $55 for the bottle and how he’d like to open one up everyday but couldn’t because of the price, I told him to check out some other $20 Pinots that he might enjoy that were of the same quality… Christmas night (25), my wife and I went to Pinot Provence, we decided to get wines by the glass, and she had a 2006 Rosenblum Conta Costa Zinfandel, and I had a 2005 Joseph Drouhin La Foret Bourgogne. The Bourgogne was incredible (90), and the zin was really good too (89). Happy wine for Xmas! The next night, the 26th, we hung out at some good friend’s house, and had 2 Temecula wines, the 2006 Doffo Tiarella (91+), which had great balance, and a chocolate with cream finish that went on for 30 seconds, and we also had the 2007 Wiens Zinfandel (89+), which was full of dark fruits, and a little spice. We also had another Zinfandel, but I kind of forgot where it was from… some coastal zin? Anyway, I just wanted to wish you all a very Happy New Year. 🙂

Christmas eve, we were over my brother’s house, and he opened a 2007 ZD Pinot Noir Carneros, and it’s was good (maybe 85), but after hearing how he spent like $55 for the bottle and how he’d like to open one up everyday but couldn’t because of the price, I told him to check out some other $20 Pinots that he might enjoy that were of the same quality… Christmas night (25), my wife and I went to Pinot Provence, we decided to get wines by the glass, and she had a 2006 Rosenblum Conta Costa Zinfandel, and I had a 2005 Joseph Drouhin La Foret Bourgogne. The Bourgogne was incredible (90), and the zin was really good too (89). Happy wine for Xmas! The next night, the 26th, we hung out at some good friend’s house, and had 2 Temecula wines, the 2006 Doffo Tiarella (91+), which had great balance, and a chocolate with cream finish that went on for 30 seconds, and we also had the 2007 Wiens Zinfandel (89+), which was full of dark fruits, and a little spice. We also had another Zinfandel, but I kind of forgot where it was from… some coastal zin? Anyway, I just wanted to wish you all a very Happy New Year. 🙂

Adorable. Your nasel congestion remindedme of the rudolf the red nose reindeer; cartoon island of misfit toys. Love your description. I like dark tar, smokey batman, pomeranite black cherry elderberry, passion fruit chocolate coffie bean bakers chocolate flav
i drank H2o tappier non filter great year, smooth, clean, chilled, this holiday bevarage has a transparancy it goes with anything fish steak pasta a hand full of pills to sleep away the blues haah um i did partake in a glass of red dimond o6 washington state cab, Not bad, I do however perfer, Estansia merlot or william hill cab those are my two favorites. Im not a big zin fan nor am i a big canei fan. I do enjoy a nice cianti once in a blue moon. port and sherry with cider cloves cinnomen sticks orange slices apples nutmeg,brown sugar heated slowly over the cook stove bishops wine, it not only tastes great it makes the entire house smell festive. You can then add cinnomen scnaaps or captin morgan or brandy wel happy holidays mentor

Adorable. Your nasel congestion remindedme of the rudolf the red nose reindeer; cartoon island of misfit toys. Love your description. I like dark tar, smokey batman, pomeranite black cherry elderberry, passion fruit chocolate coffie bean bakers chocolate flav
i drank H2o tappier non filter great year, smooth, clean, chilled, this holiday bevarage has a transparancy it goes with anything fish steak pasta a hand full of pills to sleep away the blues haah um i did partake in a glass of red dimond o6 washington state cab, Not bad, I do however perfer, Estansia merlot or william hill cab those are my two favorites. Im not a big zin fan nor am i a big canei fan. I do enjoy a nice cianti once in a blue moon. port and sherry with cider cloves cinnomen sticks orange slices apples nutmeg,brown sugar heated slowly over the cook stove bishops wine, it not only tastes great it makes the entire house smell festive. You can then add cinnomen scnaaps or captin morgan or brandy wel happy holidays mentor

Had the Beringer Private Reserve 2001 last night, i was dissapointed.
The nose was very exciting with hints of orange-peel, tea, black cherry, some earthy notes, a bit of mint and liquorice, lots of liquorice. Bordeaux-style wine. A bit of the oak-monster, not over the top though. But then the taste and after-taste went a little “casper” (you know what i mean). Hard tannins, maybe too early to give it a go? Will probably last 15+ years. Solid effort= 90 p. Parker rated it 96 or 97, can’t really follow him there… But all in all dissapointing and never worth the price…
Looking forward to tonight… Will be tasting some entry-level rioja from Alvaro Palacios called La Vendimia 2006……. Looking forward to the next show Gary.

Had the Beringer Private Reserve 2001 last night, i was dissapointed.
The nose was very exciting with hints of orange-peel, tea, black cherry, some earthy notes, a bit of mint and liquorice, lots of liquorice. Bordeaux-style wine. A bit of the oak-monster, not over the top though. But then the taste and after-taste went a little “casper” (you know what i mean). Hard tannins, maybe too early to give it a go? Will probably last 15+ years. Solid effort= 90 p. Parker rated it 96 or 97, can’t really follow him there… But all in all dissapointing and never worth the price…
Looking forward to tonight… Will be tasting some entry-level rioja from Alvaro Palacios called La Vendimia 2006……. Looking forward to the next show Gary.

Had the Beringer Private Reserve 2001 last night, i was dissapointed.
The nose was very exciting with hints of orange-peel, tea, black cherry, some earthy notes, a bit of mint and liquorice, lots of liquorice. Bordeaux-style wine. A bit of the oak-monster, not over the top though. But then the taste and after-taste went a little “casper” (you know what i mean). Hard tannins, maybe too early to give it a go? Will probably last 15+ years. Solid effort= 90 p. Parker rated it 96 or 97, can’t really follow him there… But all in all dissapointing and never worth the price…
Looking forward to tonight… Will be tasting some entry-level rioja from Alvaro Palacios called La Vendimia 2006……. Looking forward to the next show Gary.

QOTD:Christmas Wines
1: Taittinger N/V – Meh. 87pts
2: 2004 Cougar Crest Cab Franc – Yes! $27, very nice wine, soft and elegant, big blueberries, cinnamon, very good 94pts
3: 2005 Snowden The Ranch Cabernet – Very good wine, $40, Big Boy A little over oaked, coffee, dark chocolate, dark fruit, cedar box, very good 92+pts.

QOTD:Christmas Wines
1: Taittinger N/V – Meh. 87pts
2: 2004 Cougar Crest Cab Franc – Yes! $27, very nice wine, soft and elegant, big blueberries, cinnamon, very good 94pts
3: 2005 Snowden The Ranch Cabernet – Very good wine, $40, Big Boy A little over oaked, coffee, dark chocolate, dark fruit, cedar box, very good 92+pts.

thanks for the awesome pack.

qotd: from xmas eve thru the 26th

Charles Smith The Velvet Devil Merlot 2008
Red Diamond Merlot 2005
Charles Smith Kung Fu Girl 2008
Red Truck something or antoher 2005

the CS’s were good in the upper 80’s for rating. i would enjoy both again.
the red diamond was better than expected for sure.

the red truck was thin and blah.

good to come back home and tap into some more serious wines this week.

thanks for the awesome pack.

qotd: from xmas eve thru the 26th

Charles Smith The Velvet Devil Merlot 2008
Red Diamond Merlot 2005
Charles Smith Kung Fu Girl 2008
Red Truck something or antoher 2005

the CS’s were good in the upper 80’s for rating. i would enjoy both again.
the red diamond was better than expected for sure.

the red truck was thin and blah.

good to come back home and tap into some more serious wines this week.

thanks for the awesome pack.

qotd: from xmas eve thru the 26th

Charles Smith The Velvet Devil Merlot 2008
Red Diamond Merlot 2005
Charles Smith Kung Fu Girl 2008
Red Truck something or antoher 2005

the CS’s were good in the upper 80’s for rating. i would enjoy both again.
the red diamond was better than expected for sure.

the red truck was thin and blah.

good to come back home and tap into some more serious wines this week.

I Love your show !!! Always enjoy it ! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !

I Love your show !!! Always enjoy it ! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !

I Love your show !!! Always enjoy it ! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !

LURKER ALERT!

First of all, I love your show. Your comments are often surprising, always insightful and entertaining.

QOTD: First taste of 2003 and 2004 Ridge Monte Bello. They both had a very nice nose and very long finish. Good strong tannins and mildly mouth drying, 2 characteristics I enjoy. I think that the 2004 offered more power at the midpalate. Both were very enjoyable but quite young. I cannot wait to try both in 4-5 years. I have been a Ridge fan for years and have been dreaming of trying a Monte Bello for years. It was a wonderful night to share these wines with my family.
Purchased by my father-in-law as futures, approx 80$US.

How about a Monte Bello tasting on the show?

LURKER ALERT!

First of all, I love your show. Your comments are often surprising, always insightful and entertaining.

QOTD: First taste of 2003 and 2004 Ridge Monte Bello. They both had a very nice nose and very long finish. Good strong tannins and mildly mouth drying, 2 characteristics I enjoy. I think that the 2004 offered more power at the midpalate. Both were very enjoyable but quite young. I cannot wait to try both in 4-5 years. I have been a Ridge fan for years and have been dreaming of trying a Monte Bello for years. It was a wonderful night to share these wines with my family.
Purchased by my father-in-law as futures, approx 80$US.

How about a Monte Bello tasting on the show?

LURKER ALERT!

First of all, I love your show. Your comments are often surprising, always insightful and entertaining.

QOTD: First taste of 2003 and 2004 Ridge Monte Bello. They both had a very nice nose and very long finish. Good strong tannins and mildly mouth drying, 2 characteristics I enjoy. I think that the 2004 offered more power at the midpalate. Both were very enjoyable but quite young. I cannot wait to try both in 4-5 years. I have been a Ridge fan for years and have been dreaming of trying a Monte Bello for years. It was a wonderful night to share these wines with my family.
Purchased by my father-in-law as futures, approx 80$US.

How about a Monte Bello tasting on the show?

Great show. I must get my hands on that Gewurz!

QOTD: pre-Christmas dinner we hand Schramsberg Blanc de Noirs Brut 2006 (nose of sourdough, pear and mixed citrus peel, palate with very high acid and excellent length, I scored it 89). With Christmas dinner we had a Louis Jadot 2006 Puligny-Montrachet (first bottle flawed, second really disappointing, thin, austere, boring!) However, this was made up for by the fact that the previous two nights we’d had a 2000 Cos d’Estournel (divine and bound to only get better) and a 1990 Lynch-Bages (sexy as hell)

Great show. I must get my hands on that Gewurz!

QOTD: pre-Christmas dinner we hand Schramsberg Blanc de Noirs Brut 2006 (nose of sourdough, pear and mixed citrus peel, palate with very high acid and excellent length, I scored it 89). With Christmas dinner we had a Louis Jadot 2006 Puligny-Montrachet (first bottle flawed, second really disappointing, thin, austere, boring!) However, this was made up for by the fact that the previous two nights we’d had a 2000 Cos d’Estournel (divine and bound to only get better) and a 1990 Lynch-Bages (sexy as hell)

Great show. I must get my hands on that Gewurz!

QOTD: pre-Christmas dinner we hand Schramsberg Blanc de Noirs Brut 2006 (nose of sourdough, pear and mixed citrus peel, palate with very high acid and excellent length, I scored it 89). With Christmas dinner we had a Louis Jadot 2006 Puligny-Montrachet (first bottle flawed, second really disappointing, thin, austere, boring!) However, this was made up for by the fact that the previous two nights we’d had a 2000 Cos d’Estournel (divine and bound to only get better) and a 1990 Lynch-Bages (sexy as hell)

Christmas w/turkey: 2007 Chehalem Dry Riesling Reserve ~90 apple & citrus both on nose and palate
12/26 w/leg of lamb: 2005 Chateau Grand Paris ~92 fruity, cherry, earthy, balanced

Christmas w/turkey: 2007 Chehalem Dry Riesling Reserve ~90 apple & citrus both on nose and palate
12/26 w/leg of lamb: 2005 Chateau Grand Paris ~92 fruity, cherry, earthy, balanced